


Understanding Silence

by BumbleBeeDoll



Series: MGS Rarepair Week 2017! [3]
Category: Metal Gear
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Family Drama, First Meetings, MGS Rarepair Week, Muteness
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2018-09-13
Packaged: 2018-10-01 04:05:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10180292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BumbleBeeDoll/pseuds/BumbleBeeDoll
Summary: Venom and Quiet meet in a coffee shop and have a conversation through speech and typed words on a laptop.Sometimes silence can be more comforting than sound.Originally written for Day Three of MGS Rarepair Week 2017, now a multichapter story!





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Day Three of MGS Rarepair Week! Today's prompt was AU!  
> I actually have a very large AU I'm writing right now and it has VQuiet in it (They're happy and engaged and planning their wedding ;w;) but since they're not the center focus of that story, I figured I could use this prompt to write the story of how they met in that AU c:

Venom opened the door to a small hole in the wall coffee shop and went inside, escaping the whipping wind of the autumn weather outside. He went up to the counter and ordered his usual drink, a simple large black coffee, and while he waited for it, he took in the decorations of the small shop. He came here every so often but never truly looked at the place before. It had the typical rustic vibe that was becoming more common with new coffee shops and restaurants. The customers that were sitting in the lounge area fit the 'hipster' label to a T.  

He got his coffee but instead of leaving like he normally did, he decided to sit down for once. He had a small amount of time to kill before work so he figured he could relax here. He sat at a two person table next to one of the brick walls with a window and sipped at his coffee. He gazed out the window, taking in the life around him. Leaves were blowing in the wind and people were bustling by, trying to shield themselves from the strong winds.  

He began to zone out when a laptop plopped down on the table he was sitting at. He looked up to see a girl standing across from him and he was surprised to see her in only yoga leggings and a crop top T-shirt. He can withstand the cold for the most part, but even today he was wearing a heavy flannel shirt with jeans. She sat herself down across from him and he sat there awkwardly unsure of what to do. She grabbed a cord out of the bag she had with her and plugged one end into her laptop and the other into the outlet on the wall next to the table. 

 _Ah..But why doesn't she just sit a_ _t_ _a_ _nother table?_ He thought to himself as he glanced around the room. That's when he noticed he had sat down at the last table with an available outlet. _Oh.._  

He took another sip from his coffee and sat there awkwardly. She started typing on her laptop, not even looking at the man in front of her. He noted that she didn't have a drink with her. _What's she doing here if she's not even going to order a drink?_ He thought to himself and looked back out the window. He caught out of the corner of his eye the girl looking him over. He raised an eyebrow at her and waited for the usual comment or question he would get. 

 _What's with the eye patch?_  

 _Wow, you have a lot of scars! What did you do?_  

 _Look at that robot arm!_ _What happened to your arm?_  

But none of them came.  

"Can I help you?" He grumbled out to her and she simply shook her head. "Well, obviously there's something since you sat at my table and are now staring at me."  

She frowned at him and went back to typing on her laptop. He let out a sigh and looked away from her again, resting his cup on the table and crossing his arms across his chest. She tapped him on the elbow, grabbing his attention and turned the laptop towards him, gesturing for him to read the text on the screen. 

 ** _My power got taken out by the wind and I need to get my research paper done for my university class. This place has power outlets and free wifi. The reason I was staring was because you don't look like the type who would hang out here._**  

Venom read the words on the screen and sat back in his chair. "Well... Yeah. Typically I don't. I have some down time before I go to work so I figured I'd stay for a bit." He responded to her and she nodded her head. He found it odd she used her laptop to talk to him but figured she had her reasons. He wasn't one to pry into other people's lives. He looked her over again and actually looked at her face this time. She seemed young, early twenties probably and she had light brown hair bunched up on top of her head in a bun. Her green eyes looked back at him and she tried to read his expression.  

"What about you? Do you hang out here often?" He asked her and she went back to typing on her laptop. She swung it around again and he focused on the words. 

 ** _Not really my scene. A lot of people and too much noise for my taste._**  

"Same." He grunted, uncrossing his arms. "Don't know if I'll sit in here again but I like their coffee." He picked up his cup again and took another sip. He deduced that the reason she didn't have a drink herself was because of the whole talking through a laptop thing. He thought about it for a moment and then spoke up to her. 

"Do you want a drink?" 

She looked taken aback by his sudden question and looked away from him. She had expected their conversation to end there but then he came at her with this offer. She found it odd that he would ask a stranger that and figured he was trying to hit on her. She shook her head and focused back on her laptop. 

"You sure? If you have to write a research paper you're going to need the energy and you'll get thirsty eventually anyway." He said to her and she looked back him, not expecting that reply. She bit her lip, now feeling bad for assuming the worst. She figured he was right and she would need something eventually. She typed again and showed him. 

 ** _Okay_** ** _._**  

She gave him a shy smile and he nodded his head. "What would you like?" 

She looked up in an expression of thinking, her finger resting on her chin and Venom smiled to himself at her cute expression. Her fingers clicked on the keyboard again. 

 ** _I've always wanted to try_** **_an_** ** _iced_** ** _caramel_** **_macchiato_** ** _._**  

"Coming right up." He replied as he got up and walked over to the counter to order for her. The girl sat there, a light blush on her face as she stared at the man now ordering a drink for her. He was older than her but she found him kind of handsome. She didn't care about his scars, she completely overlooked those. As someone who got bullied when she was younger, she was in no position to do it herself. She was slightly fascinated by the man. She usually went unnoticed by people. The only time someone would talk to her would be some gross guy trying to hit on her but he'd lose interest quickly when she wouldn't respond to him. It would usually end in him calling her a freak but she'd move on with her day, not thinking about it. This man was different. He didn't go into their conversation immediately talking about her 'hot body' or 'pretty face', and she was thankful for it. 

He came back to their table and placed her drink and a straw on the table. He sat back down in his seat and placed two food items on the table. "Figured you could use some food too eventually. Pick whichever." She poked the straw into her drink and looked over the food. She went with the sugar cookie, leaving him with the slice of banana bread. She went to typing again, surprised by but also thankful for his thoughtfulness. 

 ** _Thank you so much. How much do I owe you?_**  

Venom read the screen and shook his head at her.  

"Don’t worry about it." He said to her, biting into his snack. She gave a look of protest and he shook his head again. "Seriously." She sat back in her seat but then remembered her new drink. She gave it a sip and smiled to herself. 

"Good?" 

 ** _Very._**  

"Glad to hear it." 

The two went silent as they ate and drank their drinks. Venom kept looking out the window and the girl would look at him every now and then. She wanted to keep talking to him, which was a first for her when it came to guys. She bit her lip and started typing on her computer again. Her fingers would type and then backspace and then type again. Her hands would hesitate and she was thinking about what she wanted to write.  

He figured she was starting to work and thought he should leave now. He was surprised to see her swing her laptop towards him again. 

 ** _What's your name?_**  

"It's Ahab." He responded and she nodded her head. "My friends call me Venom, though. I know it's odd.." She typed quickly and turned it towards him. 

 ** _Venom is cool. Everybody calls me Quiet._**  

Venom stared at the screen, reading the words over and over again. He looked up at her with a frown and she gave him a half smile.  

"Do you like that name?" 

 ** _It's whatever. It's been my name for a very long time. I've gotten used to it._**  

He was going to protest and say she shouldn't just settle for it but stopped himself, thinking about how this was someone he didn't even know. Who was he to try to shove his opinion on them? He wondered if she's been this silent her entire life. This time it was him who nodded his head in response. 

She liked how he seemed to understand and how he didn't push her into trying to talk or explain why she didn't. She strangely felt relaxed around this stranger named Venom. 

Venom's eye went to his watch and he realized he hadn’t been keeping an eye on the time. He had to be on his way to work soon. 

"Oh, I better get going.. I got work soon." He said out loud, still looking down at his watch and the girl named Quiet wasn't sure if was just him talking to himself or if he meant it towards her. She felt her mood deflate, not wanting him to leave just yet. She watched him down the rest of his coffee and snack, standing up in the process. 

"It... It was nice sitting with you." He said down to her and she gave him a smile.  

 ** _Likewise, Venom._** ** _Thank you for the drink and snack again._**  

"No problem." He said to her and he started to walk away from their shared table. Quiet without thinking grabbed his sleeve as he tried to walk past her.  

 _Wait!_  She yelled in her mind. 

He stopped and raised an eyebrow at her. She looked up at him and he had no idea what to make of her expression. She held up a finger in a _Wait just a moment_  sort of gesture and turned back to her laptop. She did the hesitant typing again but he waited patiently for her to get her words out. She turned her computer slightly so he could read the screen when she was done. 

 ** _What's your number?_**  

Venom was shocked by her question but still pulled out his phone. She scrambled into her bag to get her's out, not expecting him to give his number to her. He told her his number and she put into her phone. She sent him a text to give him her number. 

 ** _Hi :)_**  

He gave her a soft smile and flashed his phone's screen to show her he got it.  

"I really gotta go now. I guess we'll be chatting later?" He said to her and she blushed lightly and nodded her head. He gave her a simple wave and walked away from their table. She waved back and watched him leave the shop. She turned herself back in her seat towards her laptop and let out a sigh of relief. She looked down at the new contact in her phone. 

It was simply Ahab with a pink emoji heart next to it and she smiled softly at it. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, quick note!  
> When I originally wrote this, it was just a oneshot coffee shop AU but now that I've turned it into an actual story and have fleshed out where I want to take it, it's more of a modern AU and not really like a traditional coffee shop AU. It's only coffee shop in the sense that that's where they met so I'm sorry for anyone who's been expecting a true CS AU! Maybe one day I'll write a real one ;;

Towel drying her hair, Quiet walked out of her small bathroom into her also small studio apartment. Being a college student and working part-time at the floral shop downtown didn't really leave her with much cash but she was lucky enough to have a family relative help out with her living expenses. This person wasn't someone she was particularly fond of and wasn't even related to her by blood but she still had to be grateful that they set her up here. She tried not to think about it though to say the least.

She sat down on her bed, towel now wrapped up on top of her head, and checked her phone for any new messages. 

Her notification bar being blank gave her her answer. 

Letting out a sigh, she rested back against her headboard and flipped on her television. Her bed also acted as her couch and her television sat on top of her dresser against the wall that was shared with her kitchenette. She found it to be cozy and didn't mind how small her place was. It was just her and her various plants anyway. When she did hang out with the few friends she had it always out due to living in the city and there always being something to do. They rarely hung out at each other's places.

Quiet found herself unable to concentrate on any television program this evening and eventually turned it off, another sigh slipping through her lips. Her laptop was placed next to her on her bed but she didn’t want to look at that either. She still had a paper to finish for one of her classes but she didn’t want to think about that right now.

What she wanted to think about was Ahab.

It had been two days since she met Ahab at the coffee shop and he still hadn't tried to reach out to her.

Although to be fair, she hadn't tried to either.

Over the past two days she wondered to herself if she ever would or if she'd just wait for him to do it. Where was she trying to go with this? He was handsome for sure and he was so kind to her, but she knew there was quite an age difference between them. Was that something she would be comfortable with? 

Perhaps they could just be friends? 

But the feeling she got in her chest when he was about to leave without her being able to contact him again was an undeniable sign about how she felt. Not to mention how excited she was to see his name in her phone contacts after he had left. Hiding her face in her hands she let out a disgruntled noise, annoyed by how this man made her feel. A man she didn't even actually know. 

Her phone buzzing startled her, pulling her out of her thought process. A small part of her hoped it was Ahab and was slightly disappointed to find it was her friend, Pequod, asking her if she wanted to hang out this weekend. He was her best friend and had no problem with communicating through text.

Just like how Ahab hadn't cared either.

Shaking away the thought of him, she replied to Pequod saying she'll go out and the two confirmed a time and place. Quiet liked to go out and explore the city and she was happy to have a friend to join her. She walked downtown to the floral store she worked at Monday through Friday and would try to find the latest events and newest exhibits popping up on her way there. Due to taking online courses and the fact that the store she worked at could be quite slow at times, she wanted to get out as much as she could. She didn't like the crowds that much though but would be able to ignore them as she had learned to do so throughout her life.

After retreating to the bathroom to fully take care of her hair and her nightly skin routine, Quiet returned to her bed and stared at her phone on her bedside table. 

Biting her lip, she grabbed it and sent a text message off to Ahab.

\---

The weekend came quickly and Quiet stood at the spot her and Pequod had agreed upon to meet up at. They were meeting up just to do lunch together and shop around, purely platonic. She knew strangers passing by must always think they're a couple but the two had agreed upon years ago that they were just close friends and that's all they'll ever be. 

She wondered if Pequod would like Ahab but she pushed that thought from her mind due to the fact that it had been four more days and he still had not texted her back at all. Part of her wanted to write him off and not think about it anymore, since he was making it quite clear she wasn't worth his time, but another part wanted to text him again to try to get his attention.

Her phone buzzed in her hand and saw that she had received at text from Pequod.

**_Hey, I ran into a friend on my way over and I invited him to join us. I know you're iffy on people but he is too so I think the two of you will do fine together! :)_ **

His text puzzled her and she just shook her head while smiling softly. He could be so friendly sometimes, of course he'd run into someone he knew and invite them. She didn't really mind if he wanted to bring a friend, as long as he wasn't a jerk.

She eventually heard Pequod's voice approaching from her left and looked over to see him and a taller, buffer man.

With an eye patch.

And shrapnel in his forehead.

And a red bionic arm.

Shock, happiness and anger washed over Quiet all at once at seeing Ahab again. Shock that he apparently knew Pequod, happiness to see him again and anger that he hadn't texted her back. 

What was he going to say to her? What should she say to him? It seemed like he hadn't noticed her yet and she quickly ran her hands along the side braid she had her hair in to fix it even though it didn't need it.

_So you're mad at him but yet you're still trying to look nice for him?_  Her mind teased her and she rolled her eyes at her own ridiculousness. 

The two men approached her and Ahab had stopped to stare at her. She looked up at him shyly, unsure what to say to him. Or rather, text to him. Had she even crossed his mind once this whole week?

\---

Venom stared down at her, unsure what to say to her. Would she be upset that he hadn't reached out to her all week? He did have a reason, he really did. Did she even care though was the bigger question. 

He settled for a simple hello.

"Hey..." He grumbled out to her, not meaning to sound as gruff as he did. She looked down to type on her phone. As she typed Pequod started talking again.

"Ah, Venom this is Quiet, she-"

At that moment Venom's phone in his pocket buzzed and he pulled it out to look at her message.

**_Hello. I hope you've been well._ **

Pequod looked at the phone and then at Quiet.

"Wait, so you two already know each other?" He asked, perplexed and amused at the same time. The two in question nodded their heads simultaneously and Venom looked back down at his phone and the text message he had received from the girl he put in his phone as simply  _Quiet_.

"We met last weekend at a coffee shop down the street from here. We chatted through her laptop." Venom explained to Pequod who grinned widely in response. He turned towards Quiet with his big grin.

"Why didn't you tell me you made a new friend? Especially since I apparently knew this one too!"

**_It just never came up._ **

She sent to Pequod, now in a group chat with the two men. Venom looked her over and could sense a negative aura coming from her. Although her face was currently expressionless, it was undeniable that she was upset with him and he wasn't surprised by it.

Venom figured now was the time to explain himself.

"I lost my phone at work that night we met." He stated blandly and out of the blue, catching both Quiet and Pequod off guard. Quiet was now staring up at him again, intently listening. "My boss called my roommate today letting us know they found it lodged between a shelf and a wall somehow. I know the two of them will never let me live it down." He said with a light laugh, shaking his head and hoping it would lighten the mood. "So I'm sorry that I didn’t reply to your text, I only saw it maybe an hour ago and figured I screwed up too badly to respond to you now." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck with his flesh hand.

Quiet looked down at the ground and he worried for a second that she wasn't going to believe him. Or that she was even more annoyed by the fact that he just showed how much of a dumbass he could be. 

To his surprise she let out a soft giggle that soon turned into a full on laugh. Her laugh continued on and the two men shared a look together. Covering her mouth with her hand, Quiet's laugh calmed down into a delicate giggle and she began to breathe in deeply to get herself to stop.

_H_ _er_ _laugh is adorable..._

\---

_Oh man, here I am thinking he's ignoring me and it turns out he lost his phone!_ Quiet thought to herself as her giggles continued.

It truly wasn't all that funny but her body betrayed her into laughing for quite some time and she couldn't control it. A blush covered her face when she realized people passing by were staring her and she willed herself to stop. Dropping her hand from her mouth and letting out another breath, Quiet smiled up at Ahab, her mind now joyful from seeing him after now knowing the truth. 

He could be lying but she pushed that thought out of her mind because she really, really wanted to like this guy and he didn't seem like the type.

"Does that mean we're good?" Ahab asked her hesitantly, one of his eyebrows raised at her. After collecting herself from such of a rush of emotion, Quiet nodded her head.

**_Yeah, we're good. Just don't lose your phone again!!_ **

"I'll try not to." Ahab replied to her, letting out a chuckle. 

\---

The three of them went to a newly opened café down the street from where they had met up. Ahab had ordered Quiet's food for her and even paid without wanting any money back, much to Quiet's protest but he wouldn't hear it. 

"To make up for being an idiot." He had told her and she accepted it, another blush dusting her face. 

The café was decorated with modern furniture, the color scheme consisting of only white, light grey and light green. Various plants were placed throughout the establishment, which Quiet enjoyed quite a bit. It made her want to pick up a new plant for her apartment. There was one she had her eye on for a few days now and she figured she'd finally get it on her way home.

Pequod mostly led the conversation, which both Quiet and Ahab didn't mind. The booth they sat in was comfortable and Quiet was resting her head against the back of it, enjoying her time with her friends. She was seated next to Pequod with Ahab across from them. Part of her had wanted to sit next to him but she shied away to sit next to Pequod instead.

They had been in the middle of talking about how Pequod and Quiet met when Pequod's phone buzzed on the table. He sheepishly picked it up and checked it.

"Oh man." He said, staring at his phone and Quiet and Ahab looked over to him to see what was up. "I hate to be that guy, but I have a buddy telling me he needs me to cover his shift today. And it's coming up soon." Nodding simultaneously, Ahab and Quiet understood.

"So," Pequod looked at his watch, "I actually should head out now so I can get ready and head over there in time." 

Quiet and Ahab said goodbye to Pequod and he walked out of the café, waving cheerfully. Realizing it was just the two of them, Quiet curled in on herself. She didn't know why she was feeling shy all of a sudden but she found it hard to look at him now. Last weekend she had “chatted" with him relatively easily but now that she had a tiny crush on him, it was a lot harder to start up a conversation with him.

"He's a good guy." She heard Ahab say to her and she nodded her head in response. All her mind could focus on though was how it looked like the two of them were on a date now. A date with a much older man. Curiosity struck her when she realized she didn't even know how old he was. Would it be weird to ask that? Perhaps she should just leave that be for now.

"So, was there any where you wanted to go?" 

Quiet was pulled from her thoughts by his question and stared up at him. All her mind could really land on was going to her work to buy that one plant. It seemed Ahab took her silence as a no when he spoke up again.

"Or we could stay here. Completely up to you." He said and Quiet shook her head. Staying here, in Quiet's eyes, would continue to make it look like they were on a date and for some reason sitting here with him was driving her nuts and making her restless. She had wanted to see him and be able to talk to him again but now that the time has come she was getting cold feet. She scolded herself internally and picked up her phone to answer him before he just left her here. 

**_I wanted to pick up a new plant for my apartment. The shop isn't far from here._ **

Ahab read her text and nodded when he finished, tucking away his phone into his jeans pocket. 

_He's going to find this whole texting thing annoying one day..._  Quiet thought to herself as the two of them stood up and she wished inside she could just speak normally to him. The words just wouldn't come and she bit her lip, trying to bury the feeling inside. Only a handful of people in her life had heard her speak and the others she didn't speak to didn't last long. It always got annoying or too hard for them. As she watched Ahab pile up their lunch dishes to take over to the bin, she hoped that he wouldn't be like those who had left.

\---

A tiny bell rang when Quiet opened the door to the small floral shop she worked at. The aroma of all the flowers hit their noses at once and a feeling of happiness washed over Quiet. She enjoyed working at the shop and tending to the various plants they carried. The store front was all glass so a lot of sunlight could get in and the interior itself wasn't anything special. Quiet made her way through the small store to get to the exact plant she was looking for. 

She stopped in front of it on the shelf and smiled at it, Ahab right behind her. Picking it up and turning towards him, she presented a small round cactus to him with a wide grin on her face.

"Oh, that's a... nice one..." Ahab grumbled out, unsure on how to comment on plants that weren't flowers where one could simply say it was pretty. Quiet nodded her head gleefully and Ahab stared more at her than the plant, taking in her reaction to this simple cactus.

"You really must like plants, huh?"

Quiet took her eyes off the cactus for a moment to look up at him and her smile softened. Holding the cactus in one hand and texting with the other, she replied to him.

**_I love them. When I saw that this place was hiring, I just had to work here._ **

Ahab read over her text and tilted his head at his phone.

"Oh, I didn't know you worked here. Makes sense though since you really like plants." He said, nodding his head and looking around the shop. A blush spread across Quiet's face as she realized that was info he didn't know already. The cactus had given her a moment of happiness that she had forgotten that he was really more of an acquaintance than a friend. 

She'd like to be his friend, but was unsure with the whole obvious age gap situation. What would they have in common? What would they talk about?

Quiet was internally fretting over this when Ahab turned his head back towards her, a gentle smile now on his face.

"Well, let's get that bought since it's clearly the one you want."

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she nodded her head, looking up at him. Even though he was rugged looking and his expressions could be stern, Ahab was easy for her to be around and her previous thoughts fled from her mind.

\---

The two exited the store, the small cactus acquired much to Quiet's pleasure. She held it in one hand with her cell phone in the other like before. A thought crossed her mind as she processed their conversation back in the store.

**_Where do you work?_ **

Ahab looked at the text and then looked back up at her.

"I work at the burlesque club a few streets down from here."

Quiet stared at him, her mind reeling at this new information. Her face turned bright red as various scenarios filled her head of him working at a burlesque club.

Ahab seemed to have caught onto her expression and raised both hands in defense.

"Ah, no, not like that!" He said, a small blush on his own face. "I work the backstage security."

Quiet made a face of  _Ahh_ _, okay,_  and a small smile cracked across her face at their conversation. As she thought about it, she could see him working a job like that. She didn't understand why a burlesque club exactly but she wasn't one to pry or really judge.

**_Sounds like something that suits you._ **

"Yeah, I guess." He replied, not very whole heartedly and Quiet wondered if maybe he didn't like his job?

"It's a job and I don't have to deal with the crowds out front so I don't have much to complain about." He spoke up again, this time lighter hearted.

Quiet could understand what he meant. The floral shop wasn't bustling with customers constantly, but the shop still did well thankfully, and Quiet was grateful for it. It also helped that when there were customers, she wasn't the person they had to speak to. Quiet mostly did restocking and floral arrangements. The silence was comforting and welcomed at the same time.

It was undeniable how much she was enjoying her time with Ahab. The two seemed to be syncing pretty well together. He didn’t push her to talk just like last weekend and she didn’t ask him about his eye patch or arm or shrapnel. They were able to share a comfortable silence and Quiet couldn’t help but smile.

Until it struck her that she never finished her paper for her class. And the window to submit it would be closing soon. Her stomach dropped and a wave a heat rushed over her entire body at this realization.

Quiet stopped on the street they were on, trying to make her shocked gasp she let out discreet. Stepping out of the way of people trying to pass by, she looked down the street to see that the right turn she needed to take to get to her apartment complex wasn't far.

Venom looked at her expectantly and stepped to the side as well, wondering why she had stopped. 

“Something wrong?” He asked her, hands in his pockets. Quiet looked down at the cement sidewalk and bit her lip. 

**_I have a paper I have to finish…_ **

“Oh.” Venom replied, now fully facing her. 

**_I had a lot of fun today though! I wish I didn't have to go._ **

A dreary expression crossed her face and Venom smiled at her.

"I had a lot of fun too. It was nice to see you again." He said to her gently and her face flushed pink. Her hand holding her cell phone started to play with her braided hair and she looked down at the ground.

"But, I shouldn't keep you held up any longer. College is very important so I should let you get to that paper." He told her and he took a step back from her. Her heart dropped when he moved away from her and she looked back up at him, forcing a smile towards him. 

This is what she gets for procrastinating for once in her life. Usually, Quiet was a very good student and balanced her college work, her job at the floral shop and her small social life very well. But since she met him, she had stalled on finishing this paper.

And now she finally sees him again and has to leave to finish that damn paper. All she could do was bite her lip to keep her anger towards herself inside. To say she was kicking herself internally was an understatement.

"Well, now that I have my phone again, I guess... text me if you want to." He said, a hint of shyness on his face. It made a grin break across her face and Quiet nodded her head. 

The two waved goodbye to each other and went their separate ways. Making her way to her apartment, Quiet's mind was filled with her short but sweet day with Ahab. Of course, she also enjoyed her time with Pequod. He was her best friend. 

But all she could truly focus on was her conversations with Ahab. Looking down at her new cactus friend, her grin returned and her heart did a flip. Was she being ridiculous for feeling this way?

At the moment she didn't care. 

Entering her apartment, she found the perfect spot for her new plant. It fitted nicely on her night stand next to her alarm clock and table lamp. A warmth spread through her as she gazed at it. Now her small home felt even more like hers. Not just some place her caretaker set her up with.

But that wasn't a road in her mind she wanted to go down right now. She just wanted to relish in her memories of the day.

But first her paper needed to get done.

_Last time I put off a damn paper..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I promise it won't take so long to get another chapter out of this again!  
> [MGS Tumblr is pudgyvenomsnake.tumblr.com!!]


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back with the next chapter!   
> Thank you all so much for all of your comments and kudos on this, it really means a lot to me!

With her music playing lightly into her ears through her earbuds, Quiet jogged down the sidewalk, her high ponytail bouncing behind her with every step. She kept her eyes forward and ignored the stares she got from those around her. It was nearing the end of fall and while those she passed wore jeans and jackets, she was wearing yoga pants and a fitted cropped tank top. 

Since she almost always wore clothing like this her body was used to the cold and thus the cold wasn't really a problem for her until it truly hit winter in the city she lived in, that would be when she would bring out her heavier clothing items. It wasn't necessarily that she liked showing a lot of skin, it was rather that certain clothes and the feeling of some fabrics bothered her and she hated the feeling of them on her skin. Clothing like jeans or tight long sleeved shirts were just too constricting for her, she liked clothes that were easy to move in, such as short sleeved or no sleeved crop tops, and leggings.

As she was nearing the forty-five minute mark of her jog, Quiet wiped sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. With how busy she had been lately with work and her online classes, it had been some time since she went out for a jog like this.

Not to mention she had a new distraction now.

Now that he actually had his phone, Quiet and Ahab had spent the past few weeks texting each other. It wasn't everyday per se, but it was often enough. They would talk about simple topics, such as how their days went, how work was going and the like. While it wasn't anything special, Quiet enjoyed being able to talk with someone besides Pequod. 

Yes, Pequod was her best friend and all she had needed for a while now, but Quiet couldn't deny that it was nice to have another person in her life. 

Although they hadn't actually seen each other since their outing for lunch and to the floral shop. 

Quiet would sit on her bed, staring at her phone, unsure of how to ask him if he wanted to meet up again. She would begin typing something only to immediately erase it and toss her phone aside out of embarrassment. While she dealt with her own self-confidence, it made her wonder what he was thinking on his end. He wasn't asking her to go out either, but she had a feeling that he wasn't the type of person to do that. 

Continuing her jog, Quiet momentarily casted her view downwards and wondered what he felt about her, if anything. 

She didn't even know how  _she_  felt about  _him_. 

Yes, she had a great time being with him and it made her heart do flips whenever she thought about it. Were these fleeting feelings though because someone was just being nice to her? Did she truly have feelings for this man?

As a sigh escaped her lips, she rounded a corner of a building to continue her path on the sidewalk, only to bump straight into another body. She stumbled backwards as she gasped, startled out of her thoughts. She looked up, a blush forming on her face, only for it to become a deep red upon seeing who it was.

_How..._ _How does this keep happening?!_ She screamed internally to herself as she made eye contact with none other than Ahab.  _Am I in a freaking_ _rom-com_ _or something?!_

His own expression was of shock with his one eye widened but it soon softened as he gave her a half smile, noticing that it was her. 

"Hey." He said simply to her and Quiet continued to stand there dumbfounded, staring up at Ahab. She soon came to her senses and pulled her earbuds out and also pulled her phone out of her armband she used for jogging. After pausing her music, she looked back to Ahab who was still giving her that same half smile. She gave him a simple wave in return and gripped her phone with both hands afterwards.

"Crazy that we bumped into each other again, huh?" He said to her, his hands in his jeans pockets. "I guess literally this time though." He chuckled to himself and Quiet only nodded in response. 

Her mind was racing and she could feel her heart pumping in her chest. How did she respond in this situation? She felt like an idiot. After spending so much time wanting to see him again, she froze as soon as she saw him. 

Realizing she had literally bumped into him as he had just stated, she scrambled with her phone to her messaging app.

**Sorry about bumping into you!!**

Ahab, his phone already out now, looked over her text and shook his head.

"It's fine, I'm sure you were just lost in thought or something."

_...Yeah... Something like that._  She thought to herself, as she wiped more sweat from her brow. As she did so, she realized she was standing in front of a man she maybe had feelings for as an absolute sweaty mess. She had no makeup on, her hair was pushed back into a messy high ponytail and she all sweaty. 

Normally, Quiet wouldn't give two shits about something like this, hence why she went out looking like this, but now standing there with Ahab, it all flooded her mind. She gave herself a mental slap and collected herself, pushing those ridiculous thoughts into the back of her mind.

"Am I interrupting your jog?" Ahab asked her, his head now slightly tilted. Quiet quickly shook her head. "Okay, good. Just the look on your face made it seem like I was in your way or something."

Another mental slap.

_Okay, let's stop messing this up before he just leaves._

Quiet breathed in deeply, hoping Ahab thought she was just catching her breath, and went back to typing on her phone.

**Nah, I was actually just about done.** **So** **good timing, I guess?**

He read over her message and nodded his head. Ahab then visibly looked Quiet over and it sent a small chill down her spine, wondering what he was thinking.

"Hmm, it seems like it was quite the jog with how much you're sweating."

_Great. Thanks for pointing that out._ Quiet let out an internal sigh, feeling herself deflate at his words while he had his arms crossed, still looking her over.

"It's good to stay hydrated so we should get you some sort of water."

His words bewildered her and she felt her blush come back, not that ever went away really. It seemed like he might actually stick around and she tried to control the grin about to break out across her face. Quiet gave him one of her staple nods in response and he pointed across the street. 

"How about we get a drink over there?"

She followed the direction he was pointing in and found herself dumbfounded once again.

It was the café they had met in.

_I really am in a_ _rom_ _-com..._

\----------

The two of them had snagged a spot near one of the windows where there was a pair of matching armchairs. They sat across from each other, their drinks on the small low table between them. Ahab had bought her a tall bottle of water and himself a black coffee. It wasn't until she was in the café with him that she realized she didn't have any money on her, just her phone and her apartment key zipped away into the only pocket her yoga pants had. Guilt washed over her as Ahab bought yet another thing for her. 

"It's alright, really." He had comforted her, sensing her distress. "You can get the tab next time."

_Next time..._

Those words currently rung in her head as she reclined back into the soft cushions of the chair. It brought a small smile to her face and Ahab tilted his head at her again. Mustering up the courage to say what was on her mind, Quiet typed out another message to him.

**I'm just glad I bumped into you. I've been wanting to see you but I just didn't know how to ask.**

Ahab stared at his phone, reading over what she had sent him. He didn't respond though. Usually, he was quick to say something but he just looked at his phone. Quiet curled in on herself, wondering if she had pushed her luck.

"...I" He started and stopped, leaving Quiet on the edge of her seat. "I'm flattered." 

She didn't know how she felt about that response. The tone he used was odd and she didn't know what to do.

Maybe she had pushed her luck.

He had told her to text him if she wanted to, but was that just him being nice?

When Ahab looked up her it pulled her out of her thoughts and she was partially relieved to see that half smile on his face again.

"It's always nice hanging out with you, so I'm glad you feel the same way."

Quiet felt an immense amount of weight lifted off of her shoulders.

_You're killing me here with your choice of words. But he doesn't seem like the social type to realize what he's doing..._

Quiet had a feeling this was something she was going to have to get used to.

"I'm free during the day, I work nights though so there may be a good chance I'm sleeping." Ahab told her and Quiet realized he was sharing his schedule with her. After spending some time texting with him, she had already sort of figured it out, but it made her happy to have him actually share it with her.

She texted him her own schedule and they found that some of their free time overlapped throughout the week.

\--------

They had spent an hour talking and texting about the same sort of topics they normally texted about. Even though their conversations weren't any different, it was nice to do in person. As he would read the messages she sent him, she'd use the chance to look him over. 

He really was handsome.

All of the things about him most would find unattractive, she found captivating. As her eyes scanned over his eyepatch, shrapnel and bionic arm, she wondered if they could ever be close enough that she would learn the stories behind each one. The thought of becoming closer to him made her heart flutter and perhaps she  _was_  having real feelings for him.

With her own personal issues, Quiet didn't really think about dating. 

But Ahab seemed to accept her and her silence.

It made her feel safe.

She just wasn't 100% sure just quite yet. She had gotten this feeling of safety and acceptance before from family and friends, only for them to turn their backs on her due to being 'so annoying' or 'inconvenient'. 

But she couldn't imagine Ahab doing that to her. Or so she hoped at least.

This wasn't this first time she had had these exact thoughts. But if she wanted to have something happen with this man, she'd have to learn to trust a little.

\--------

The two of them soon left the small café, and they stood outside, tucked out of the way from others so they weren't in their way. The sun was setting and it was definitely starting to get colder.

**Time for work, right?**

"Yeah, unfortunately." He replied to her and shifted his feet a little. Quiet wasn't sure what to say next but he spoke up first.

"So..." She looked up at him, waiting to see where he was trying to go with his words. "How about..." He trailed off again and Quiet just smiled up at him, showing him it was okay to take his time.

"Do you want to do this again next week?" He finally asked her, his expression that same shy one she saw a few weeks ago. While her face flushed at his question, she responded with a grin.

**I'd like that.**

"Ah, great... That's great." He said, rubbing the back of neck with his flesh hand. "Want to meet here again? It could be at the same time too."

**Sounds perfect.**

"Great, it's a date." He replied smiling at her and Quiet's face went to a whole next level of red. 

A  _date_?

Was this his weird word choice again or actually a date?

She looked up at Ahab and he either didn't notice his words or he was sincere as he gave her that gentle half smile again. Quiet couldn't tell but she didn't exactly want to bring it up. So, she just took it and nodded her head. 

\-------

They had went their separate ways with simple waves to each other, him off to his job and her back to her apartment. 

As Quiet walked home, she gripped her phone tightly to her chest. Yet another meetup where she could just feel her heart flipping afterwards. 

She had no idea that their random encounter with each other would lead to this. Now she had another friend but also potentially something more...

The small chime from her phone signaled to her that she had just received a text. A smile spread across her face wondering what Ahab was messaging her about. 

After she opened her messaging app, her face fell and a feeling of dread washed over her when she saw that it wasn't Ahab.

Or Pequod.

It was a text from a contact in her phone with only the skull emoji for a name.

_Shit..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp....  
> Thank you so much for reading, I hope it was enjoyable!! Next chapter will be up soon!
> 
> [MGS Tumblr is pudgyvenomsnake.tumblr.com]


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're about to take a small dip into the darker aspects of Quiet's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive!!! I'm so sorry this took so long, this summer was crazy busy for me (I got a puppy! :D ) but now things should be calm enough that I can dedicate some time to getting this story done. I've already got chapter 5 started!

_Don’t ever forget... I’m the only one who has stuck around for you. Everyone has already forgotten about you. Tossed you away like the trash you are. But I stayed._

_Without me,_

_You_

_Are_

**_Nothing._ **

_\---_

In the darkness of her apartment, Quiet slowly opened her eyes with a feeling of exhaustion already. She blinked a few times and her eyes landed on her phone on her nightstand. Her face scrunched up as she recalled all of the words from her dream and as she felt tears well up in her eyes, she curled her body inwards. With her fingers wrapped tightly around her duvet now over her head, she let out a shudder as her sobs echoed out into her lonely apartment.

\---

As the sun rose it let streams of light into her small home and Quiet was still in her bed but her tears were now dried as she just stared at the wall, her lips slightly parted. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were tear stained but she didn’t move. The only noise in her apartment was her very faint breathing, and without that one could have thought she was dead with how still she was.

Behind her she heard her phone lightly buzz on the nightstand next to her bed but she still didn’t move. 

The inside of her mind was nothing but darkness as those words echoed in her head over and over.

_I was so foolish..._

\---

It wasn’t until the next morning that Quiet finally crawled out from the safe haven that was her bed. As she made the way to her tiny bathroom she didn’t even bother looking at her phone. Once she was in the small room, she glanced at herself in the mirror, only to give herself a hateful stare. It only made even more thoughts flood her mind and her stomach clenched as she moved to turn on the shower.

After she stepped into the steaming hot water, Quiet looked up at the ceiling and closed her eyes as she felt the water rush over her body. A sigh escaped from her lips as she ran her hands through her now wet hair. The warmth of the water was soothing and it helped with clearing her mind slightly. She now wrapped her arms around her torso and the fleeting thought of how nice it would be to be held right now came into her head.

The image of Ahab being in the shower with her while holding her to his body flashed into her mind but she opened her eyes quickly to erase that embarrassing image. Quiet blinked a few times and swallowed as she tried to shift her thoughts away from that.

_I’m an idiot._

The two of them had gone on their ‘date’ and then another, and another. To an outsider looking in, what they did wasn’t anything special. They sat with their drinks and chatted and texted about simple things. To Quiet though, those few hours with him were everything. They were an escape for her. She didn’t have to think about anything in her life outside of him when they were together.

But then the man with only a skull emoji for a name in her phone found out she was texting someone new. Apparently, he had looked over her phone records and noticed she was texting a different number than usual and quite a lot. 

He began with simple text messages.

_Who is that?_

_How did you meet them?_

_Is it a man?_

_I’ve been nice enough to let you hang around with that Pequod guy, but what is this?_

At first, Quiet ignored his messages but knew in the back of her mind that it was futile to do so. His short texts soon became constant phone calls until she answered and told him everything. 

It became nothing but an assault of words.

_“Are you serious,_ _you_ _stupid little girl? How could you? How many times have we gone through this? They_ **_never_ ** _stay. I don’t understand why you do this. And now you’ve fallen for him?”_

_“Ah-”_

_“No, don’t even try to deny it. I could hear it by the way that you talked about him, this ‘Ahab’. But_ _it_ _doesn’t matter. You’re too much of a bother for him to stick around for too much longer.”_

Now she was left with a dark, cold feeling inside her and she didn’t want to look at her phone anymore. It just brought forth memories that she kept hidden deep within her. 

The water in her shower soon turned cold but Quiet remained standing there, her arms at her sides. She let in a deep breath and brought her hands to her cover her face before she let out a muffled scream. She continued to let out this cry as she crouched down in her shower, ignoring the chilling water hitting her skin.

\---

Quiet eventually turned off her shower and toweled off. The darkness she felt in her head had lightened up a little but she still let out a sigh. Once she was dry, she left her bathroom to get dressed. After pulling on simple leggings and a shirt, the blinking light on her phone caught her eye once again. 

_Just... look. Just do it and let’s get this over with. He should stop soon enough._

She swallowed and walked over to her nightstand, her hands clenched into fists. It felt ridiculous to her for her to feel this sick over looking at a phone. After a few deep breaths, she was ready to finally pick up her phone.

She unlocked her phone and looked at her notifications.

Gripping her phone tightly, Quiet bit her lip.

There wasn’t anything from that man.

It was all from Ahab.

**_How’s your day going?_ ** _Sent 1:32 pm, Thursday_

**_Off to work, see you tomorrow?_ ** _Sent 6:14 pm, Thursday_

**_I’m at the café._ ** _Sent 11:26 am, Friday_

**_Are you alright?_ ** _Sent 12:34 pm, Friday_

**_Quiet?_ ** _Sent 9:22 am, Today_

Her knees gave out and she sank to the floor, still gripping her phone. She began to shake her head back and forth. A feeling of guilt struck through her heart.

_I’m so stupid. This is so stupid._

Quiet returned to looking at her phone and thought of how she should respond. Should she feign ignorance? Should she claim she lost her phone? 

Or should she just come clean to him?

Or just continue to ignore him?

She felt in her heart that she shouldn’t drag him into her messed up life. Ahab didn’t deserve this. He didn’t need to be around her and all of this. 

But...

Quiet couldn’t let him go just yet. She didn’t want to have to stop seeing him, talking to him, simply just being with him. 

She didn’t want this to be over.

Quiet dug her teeth harshly into her bottom lip and began typing.

\---

Venom lounged on the large couch in his apartment, absently watching a program on the television in front of him. He let out a sigh and ran his flesh hand over his face and into his hair. Quiet wasn’t returning his texts and he figured for now he should just give her space. 

But he couldn’t deny that he was bored.

A door to his right clicked shut and he looked over to his roommate coming out of his bedroom. 

“Mornin’, Kaz.” He grumbled to him and he got a nod in return. The man named Kaz walked across their small living room into their just as small kitchen, adjusting his prosthetic arm in the process. Venom returned his attention to the television while sounds of pots and pans came from the kitchen.

“So,” he heard Kaz start from his left and he turned that way now to look at him, seeing him close the fridge with a carton of eggs. Kaz put down the eggs next to a bowl and a whisk before adjusting the sunglasses he wore and then pointed at Venom’s phone resting on the couch beside him.

“I’ve seen you using that quite a bit lately. That’s odd for you.” Kaz said to him and Venom leaned back into the cushions as he shrugged.

“Yeah, I guess.” He stated back. Kaz’s eyebrow twitched at his roommate’s short answer. He sighed as he began to crack eggs into the bowl.

“Is... there a reason?” He inquired, hoping to get something out him. Venom didn’t use his phone that much at all so Kaz had been curious about his new found texting hobby.

“Just been talking to this girl I met.”

Kaz nearly dropped the egg he had in his hand.

“Wh-What?”

“Yeah, I met this girl a little while ago and we’ve just been talking.”

Kaz immediately put the egg back into the carton and rushed over to the armchair to left of the couch and sat, staring at Venom.

“And when were you going to tell me this?” He asked, feeling bewildered that Venom of all people met someone. Venom never expressed interest in anybody so Kaz’s interest was definitely piqued.

“I mean, did I have to?” Venom asked, tilting his head at his friend, innocently confused as why he would have to tell him about this.

“Well, you don’t really go out and meet new people.” Kaz responded but shook his head at his own words. “Anyway, what is she like?”

“Uh... She’s smart. She can also be pretty funny.” Venom said, his arms now crossed and his head titled up to the ceiling. “It’s nice to talk to her. We just discuss simple things and hang out.”

Kaz listened and nodded his head, intrigued by Venom’s new ‘friend’. 

“But... She hasn’t answered me in a few days.” Venom mumbled, looking back down. Kaz sat up straighter at these words as he caught Venom’s expression change. He looked like his normal self but his lone eye had a glint of sadness in it.

“Did you do something?” Kaz asked, wanting to help him. When he was younger, Kaz was all about the ladies and even though he’s slowed down in his romantic endeavors now, he figured he could come up with  _something_  to help Venom out.

“No... I don’t think so, at least.” Venom replied, his brow tensing as he thought of their previous conversation. “We never get too serious together.”

“Well, you can say some pretty dumb stuff.” Kaz told him and Venom gave him that same head tilt from before. Kaz sighed and sat back in his chair while he wondered what could have gone wrong. Venom wasn’t very forward about his feelings, especially when it came to romantic feelings, so Kaz didn’t think it could’ve been that. But, maybe it was because he  _hadn’t_  said anything romantic?

“Have you told her how you feel about her?” Kaz asked and Venom’s eyebrows shot up. 

“What?” It was Venom’s turn to look bewildered. “Kaz... It’s not like that...” Venom looked away from him, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. Kaz watched his reaction and smirked.

“Uh, okay. Keep telling yourself that.” Kaz stood up and returned to the kitchen, still smirking at Venom. Venom in turn swallowed and looked back over at him after a few seconds.

“I...” He started and Kaz waited for him to continue. “I don’t know right now where we stand. With any of that sort of stuff. But...”

Kaz listened intently, he had the intention to go back to cooking but he was far more invested in what Venom had to say next.

But Venom only abruptly stood from the couch, phone in hand.

“Forget it.” He stated grumpily and he walked out of the room to his own bedroom. Kaz only let out a sigh and shook his head as he went back to his eggs.

Once in his room, Venom sat down on his bed and tossed his phone aside. He put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

Everything was so up in the air right now that Venom didn’t know what to do or think. Quiet could never text him again and that’d just be it. All Venom did know was that was the last thing he wanted. He liked this girl, she was nice to be with and calming. She put no pressure on him to do things or to be a certain way. With her, Venom could just be himself and not have to worry about being judged. Quiet accepted him for who he was, just like he did for her.

He didn’t want to let go just yet.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when his phoned buzzed next to him. Venom picked it up and looked at his notifications.

It was a message from her.

He quickly opened it.

**_Hey. Sorry that I haven’t been answering and that I missed yesterday. I’m really sorry about that. I’ve just been dealing with some stuff here at home. I’ll be fine soon and we can meet up again. If you want. Hopefully I didn’t royally fuck up things between us. Again, I’m sorry._ **

Venom read over her message a second time, processing her words. He was worried about what happened to her but didn’t know if he should ask her about it or not. Truly, he was just happy to finally hear from her and to know that she’s safe. He took a moment to think of what to say and then began typing.

_Hey, it’s fine. You don’t have to talk to me every waking moment. I hope everything is okay, and I’m here if you need me._

Venom pressed send and hoped that that was an appropriate response. 

\---

Quiet stared at his text and she sadly smiled at it after a few seconds. She was happy to hear back from him, and so quickly too, but she still felt the darkness in her mind. Curled up in her bed again, Quiet fleetingly wished that he was here with her. She knew that couldn’t happen though. They’re not like that. And  _he_  would be furious if he found out about her inviting Ahab here. 

But... maybe one day?

For now, she would have to find solace in talking to him like this, until she was ready to see him in person again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, chapter 5 will be up soon! Get ready for some feels!!  
> [MGS Tumblr is pudgyvenomsnake.tumblr.com!!]

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I've been having a lot of fun with this week!  
> I'm thinking of turning this into an actual story with more chapters!  
> [You can find my MGS tumblr as pudgyvenomsnake.tumblr.com!]


End file.
